What To Do With A Shiny Brand New Year

By Dan Trotter on January 20, 2016 in Other

Forget New Year’s resolutions; they seldom work. A much better way to get what you want from the year ahead is to write a wish list then devise an action plan to attack your desires.

In saying this, I’m reminded of two almost contradictory quotes or clichés: ‘failing to plan is like planning to fail’ and ‘life is what happens while you are busy making other plans’. With these in mind, get busy thinking about your year – and indeed your life – ahead and make sure you do what you want, because one thing that is truer than true and that is none of us get a second chance to live our lives. Make the time to plan whilst also making the time to live, and strike a happy medium between the two; who knows, this time next year you could be dead.

On that cheerful note, let’s talk fish and fishing.

In Sydney, the first month of the Gregorian calendar year is one of the finest fishing months of the 12 moons. Not only are the days long and warm, the nights are balmy and the ocean is alive with predator and prey. If you’re on school holidays, uni break, or even just a short summer sojourn, you’ve got the time to refine your skills and really increase your chance of catching the fish of a lifetime.

In our beloved coastal waterways, life will be in full force and should offer up catches to match. A tip for those of you learning to fish: always use as light a line and leader as you dare, as little weight as possible, the freshest bait you can find, and fish for a specific species as opposed to simply going fishing. Put all of these pieces of the angling puzzle together and they can make all the difference.

For many this month will be all about Seriola lalandi, and who can blame them. With the run of big hoodlum yellowtail kingfish that we’ve seen so far this season, the hopes for the best season in living memory are high. Freshly caught, live big squid set on a twin hook rig using 150lb leader and 80lb braid are the order of the day for XOS kings. They’re the only way to go if you want a chance at stopping a fish over 110cm or experiencing the magic of 120cm plus. I have my fingers crossed for us both.

Also at the top of the offshore fish wish list this month will be mulloway, snapper, mahi mahi, marlin and perhaps even a marauding mackerel. Personally, I love to catch a couple of mulloway every summer and treat myself to some sweet cutlets on the barbecue, so you’ll know where I’ll be if there’s a windless balmy night leading up to the full moon.

Happy New Year and tight lines until next month!